This is how the six largest metropolitan areas are seen in 2025, with figures that surprise.
News Colombia.
Urban growth in Colombia continues to consolidate large agglomerations around the main cities of the country. The metropolitan areas, both in their official version (legally formed) and in their zonal interpretation (functional groups not legally recognized), allow observing the true population scope of these urban centers. Below is an analysis of the six most populated metropolitan areas in the country in 2025.
Bogotá: a national metropolis
With an estimated population of 11,900,000 inhabitantsthe capital of the country leads the list. Its official metropolitan area includes 18 municipalitieswhich makes it the most extensive and inhabited urban concentration of Colombia. Bogotá is not only the political and economic epicenter of the country, but also its main demographic nucleus.
Medellín: Consolidation of the Aburrá Valley
The second most populated metropolitan area corresponds to Medellín. Its official structure, composed of 10 municipalitiesreaches a population of 4,257,000 inhabitants. This region, known as the Aburrá Valley, represents a model of urban integration and regional development in the Colombian northwest. Continue reading: “Colombia loses more ice”: one of the snowy of the country agonizes and could disappear in the next five years
Santiago de Cali: two metropolitan realities
Cali presents a particular situation. From the zonal perspective, its metropolitan area includes 7 municipalities and add 3,517,000 inhabitantswhich would locate it as the third most populated. However, its official metropolitan area, recognized by the Association of Municipalities of the South West (AMSO), covers only 3 municipalitieswith a population of 2,505,000 inhabitants. This difference shows the challenges in the planning and territorial recognition of the Colombian Southwest.
Barranquilla: Capital of the Colombian Caribbean
The fourth place is occupied by Barranquilla, whose official metropolitan area is made up of 5 municipalities. Together, this region of the northern country adds 2,417,000 inhabitantsconsolidating as the main urban center of the Caribbean region and a strategic node of national trade and logistics.
Bucaramanga: Urban Force of the Northeast
Bucaramanga occupies fifth place with 1,411,000 inhabitants distributed in its official metropolitan area, composed of 4 municipalities. The Santander capital, despite not appearing among cities with the greatest national visibility, has become a sustained growth axis and regional connectivity.
Cartagena de Indias: between the zonal and the official
In sixth place appears Cartagena, with a total of 1,560,200 inhabitants in its zonal metropolitan area, which includes 11 municipalities. However, if only its official metropolitan structure is taken into account, the number of municipalities is reduced to 6and the population descends to 1,188,500 inhabitants. This duality reflects the dispersed but accelerated growth of this port city.
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